Dc's Bionicle Oneshot Collection
by Dragon Claw92
Summary: This is a collection of oneshot stories I've written, for enjoyment. I accept requests too! Oneshot #15: Lewa and Kopaka are seldom considered a pair that work well. But what happens when the boredom of travelling with a silent partner gets to Lewa's head, and he asks the one question that shouldn't be asked? Only one is going to get out of this conversation with a smile...
1. Disclaimer

DISCLAIMER:

Some of the Ocs used in this collection do not belong to me. I will post a disclaimer up every now and again, updating the list on which Ocs are and are not my own. I also do not own BIONICLE, Lego, or any associated companies.

OC List

Resa - InTheLight-Hija

Kularvo - InTheLight-Hija

Mihkoro - Dragon Claw92

Donua - Dragon Claw92

Kanju - Dragon Claw92

Ori - OttoxMandarin

Izotz - OrixMandarin

Hera - Dragon Claw92


	2. 1: Safety at Last for InTheLight

Sometimes I wonder if being a Toa is really worth it all. The power and acceptance are wonderful, to be sure, but all the same…is all the agony worth it? As I sat there, barely even able to fight for consciousness anymore, I asked myself this over and over again. Destiny could be so cruel, so cold, even to the point of a Toa of Ice like me getting a chill from it. I blearily opened my eyes, looking around and hoping for some sign that this nightmare was over. Drat the Makuta for breaking my glasses…even if I was fully conscious I wouldn't be able to see anything. I could hear that twelve year old brat laughing about something trivial. Lucky day, he was done with me. I also find myself wondering just how such a monster could be Onua's brother. Then again, considering that Mihkoro and Vakama are twins, it's not a long shot.

I tried shifting my weight, my tailbone hurting more than before now that I'd been sitting on the floor in the same position for so long. Honestly, if I'm burned to a crisp already and beaten senseless, how in Mata Nui's name do they think I can just up and run off? Were the ropes really necessary? Oh, what I would give for a cold shower and a nap right now…

The sound of movement shook me out of my thoughts, and I soon heard the sound of someone getting hit in the gut. Judging by the sound he made when he was hit, whoever it was would definitely feel that one later. But it didn't stop there. The intruder was being hit over and over. I heard him fall to the floor, his weapon clattering down beside him. Struggling to clear my eyesight, I caught a glimpse of a darkly clad young man with black and red hair. Oh geez, why did he have to show up. He knows they hate him…then again, just about everybody probably does. I still have to find out just how Mihkoro scored himself a wife…

I flinched as I watched him get kicked again and again, until he eventually coughed up blood. Not sure why he was playing with it, but he seemed to be trying to write something on the floor. Figures he'd be cryptic instead of just saying something. I paused to think about the fact that I was in no state to be judging him. I was barely able to think this clearly anyway, and he at least was doing something that could potentially hint at just what happened to the pair of us…maybe…who really knew. It could've been some sort of joke, considering that it was Mihkoro. Moving back to stop my already agonized neck from hurting any more, I closed my eyes and sighed. This was just pathetic. Truly and fully pathetic. Why I was chosen to be a Toa, just to get beat up, I'll never under…wait…is that running? I opened my eyes again and glanced at the Makuta who were standing guard. They seemed faintly uneasy. Did the others really end up getting here?

…remind me never to voice my opinion when a Makuta is nearby. They don't appreciate hopeful comments of freedom. My head throbbing, I closed my eyes, ears ringing too loudly for me to really understand anything that was now being said. All I knew is that the others had, in fact, turned up, and were most likely going to start a fight. Sure enough, not to anyone's real surprise, a fight broke out. What I would give to show Donua just what I thought of him…

Jerking on the ropes made me grit my teeth in pain, though I kept my eyes closed. What was going on? Were they going to try and move me again? I hope not, I was in too much pain as it was.

"Nuju? Nuju can you hear me?" I groaned. That voice was familiar. Very familiar, but the ringing was preventing me from really figuring out who it was. Opening my eyes a little, I was surprised, or as surprised as a barely conscious person could get, to see that Resa had come over. Was the fight over already? No, it couldn't be. This had to be an illusion.

"N-no…don't show me this again…j-just leave…" She blinked, seeming uncertain.

"You're safe, Nuju, it's okay…this is real…" I was sceptical of that. I'd heard them say that before, only to wind up getting dummied with something that felt oddly like a frying pan or some other heavy object of that nature. I gasped as I felt someone's fingers working their way over the ropes, occasionally rubbing against my scorched skin and sending a stab of pain down my arm. The slackening feeling caught me by surprise. Was I really free? No, I couldn't be. Yes? …no, probably just a trap…and then her voice again…

"I need help! Nuju's really hurt!" I could hear someone else moving over as well. Could this really be true? Really and honestly? I struggled to moved, gasping as pain shot through me. "Nuju, try not to move too much, please…i-it'll just make it worse…" She sounded upset. That wasn't good at all. Did she get hurt? Was she okay? I could feel someone trying to move me without causing any more pain, though that was impossible. Weakly, I looked at Resa again. Were those small shiny things tears? Why was everything fading out? Things were so out of focus.

"R-Resa…d-don't cry…" I could barely even hear myself say that. Someone else had moved closer now, and I could feel something warm and oddly relaxing sweeping over my frame. Was someone trying to heal me? What was that peculiar glow? Everything faded to black, and the last words I heard, were the same that I couldn't believe earlier.

"You're safe…"


	3. 2: Hell and High Water for InTheLight

Nuju shuddered as he looked around, his bright blue eyes scanning over everything around him. "This place is an utter nightmare..." He said quietly, his voice hoarse and scratchy from the damage dealt by the Makuta prior to being trapped in this dark and maddening pocket dimension with Resa. The Av-Matoran sighed quietly, nervously moving a little closer to him as the walls appeared to ripple like water in a pond.

"It's supposed to be..." She murmured weakly, looking around win utmost unease. "Kularvo specifically made it so this place takes your fears and warps it into illusions to either drive you insane, or kill you..." She shivered as she eyed the walls, and it became clear right away to Nuju that water was one of her biggest fears. Not sure how to make her feel better, Nuju gently wrapped an arm around her, lightly rubbing her shoulder with his thumb.

"Don't worry, Resa." He said softly. "We'll find the way out of here. Mata Nui will protect us." She gave a weak nod, but froze as the floor started to tilt. Nuju frowned, looking around them with uncertainty as he searched for a way to fix what was happening. All he found, however, was a ledge that seemed almost to be lowering, whilst the floor they were on grew steadily steeper, threatening to make the pair fall and slide down into whatever abyssal cavern awaited them below. With nothing for it, Resa and Nuju jumped for the ledge, barely managing to catch it as the floor behind them seemed almost to fall away...

And then came the sound of running water. Soon it was trickling down off the ledge they were hanging off of, making it harder to hold onto. Thinking quickly, Nuju formed a dome of ice over them, and just in time. Resa screamed as she let go of the edge, landing on the icy barrier that had just formed, and staring in horror as gallons upon gallons of water rushed over it, and down into the chasm below. Nuju gritted his teeth as he held onto the edge, looking down at Resa with obvious worry, taking note that her face had gone deathly white.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the flow of water had ceased, all going quiet once more. Putting his hand against the ice dome, Nuju opened up a hole in the top, pulling himself out before turning and holding his hand down for Resa. Her fingers trembled as she took hold of his hand, eyes wide and full of tears, every ounce of her terror plain as day on her face. Hauling her out of the icy refuge and pulling her up onto the ledge, he soon knelt with her, holding Resa close as she quietly sobbed into his bare and pale chest.

They sat there in near silence for what felt like hours, though it was only a few minutes, until finally, Resa spoke.

"I-I hate him... I just h-hate him s-so much..." Nuju gave her a gentle squeeze, still holding her in his arms as he whispered softly.

"Shh... I know, Resa... You're okay now. There's no more water up here, other than your tears..." He almost asked why she was so afraid of water, but decided against it as he continued to let her cry. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down. Eventually she was quiet, only whimpering now and then as the pair stood up and started walking again, Nuju's arm around her shoulders still, and as they went, the Toa of Ice decided on one thing over all others.

...Kularvo had to die.


	4. 3: Playing a Fool for InTheLight

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Vakama asked with uncertainty, eying the pile of clothes Mihkoro had set down on the bed beside him. This Fool's Day prank was starting to sound more dangerous than Vakama had originally anticipated, and his brother's confidence wasn't exactly helping him feel any better.

"Yeah, of course it'll work. I mean come on, we're twins, right? How hard do you think it'll be to swap places for a few hours?" Vakama just sighed, not really understanding how Mihkoro thought this would work.

"They're not idiots you know. You might be able to imitate my voice and look like me, but I doubt you'll be able to pull off my personality. Random guess says that Matau's going to try the water balloon trick that he pulled last year." Mihkoro grinned.

"That was hilarious. Onewa never saw it coming."

"That's the problem, Mihkoro." The Toa Metru argued tiredly. "We won't either if we aren't watching everywhere at once, something that's out of character for both of us."

"And?" The darker Toa asked curiously, though he paused to think over the situation. "…good point, it'd wash us out. Okay, we just have to be careful in case Matau shows up, or anyone else from Le-Metru…better yet, let's just totally avoid that district."

"I still think this is a bad idea…" Vakama muttered quietly, shaking his head with disapproval with the outlook. "Nokama's going to kill us for it, you know that right? She's not restricted to just water balloons either." Mihkoro waved it off as he pulled one of Vakama's spare shirts on over his head, hiding his tattoos and making him appear mark-free. As Vakama pulled off his shirt and put on the one Mihkoro had brought for him, he asked.

"You did remember that concealer stuff, right? Because there's no way we're going to get the skin color to match otherwise." Mihkoro grinned as he nodded.

"Oh relax, I've got it all under control. By the time we're done, even you won't know who you are." The Toa Metru looked worried at that, and Mihkoro quickly added. "It's a joke, Vakama. You can laugh you know." Giving a weak laugh, though it didn't sound overly convincing, Vakama picked up the pair of pants Mihkoro had brought for him, and wandered to the bathroom to finish getting changed, leaving Mihkoro, with an expression of boredom and awkwardness, by the bed to get himself ready. "…he'd better help me with my hair…"

~Two hours later~

Nokama sighed as she looked around, her hand gripping her umbrella tightly just in case Matau decided to show up and play the same 'joke' he'd done last year. Standing near the border area between Ga-Metru and Ta-Metru, she watched for any sign of Vakama, wishing he would get there sooner. She didn't know why, but she always felt safer on Fool's Day when he was around, since most of his jokes and pranks were just small little things like commenting that he had quit forging masks, like he had done last year. Sure it had come as a great shocker to her, but once he had told her that it was a joke he had saved only for that day, she found it amusing ever since. But now…this year she was starting to worry. He was never late for meeting up with her on Fool's Day before, so why was he late this time? That was when she heard a familiar voice call to her.

"Sorry I'm late!" She giggled as she turned and saw a rather flustered looking Vakama run over, seeming highly awkward. "Mihkoro thought it'd be funny to try and pull a joke while I was getting ready. I'm so sorry about…" She cut him off by putting a finger to his lips for a few moments and giggling quietly as she replied.

"Don't be silly, Vakama. You don't need to apologize that much over a little thing like this. We both know it's a dangerous day for people to be wandering the streets." Vakama laughed quietly, still seeming sheepish as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Y-yeah, true enough I guess. Anyway, where were we going again?" Nokama seemed vaguely amused.

"We were going to go and track down Whenua so he wasn't stuck on his own today, remember? He doesn't like the thought of Onewa trying to track him down and get him with silly string like the last three years. You know how much he hates it when Onewa does that." He nodded a bit.

"Yeah, I remember that…well, um…guess we should get going, eh? He's probably not going to try and track us down with the threat of Onewa hanging around…" The Toa of Water gave a slight nod, and started walking, blushing faintly as she entwined her fingers with his. Vakama gave a sheepish grin as she did this, heading along beside her as they went. While they did so, Nokama asked.

"You remembered your umbrella too, right?" He blinked, looking mildly startled. Figures that he'd forget something important. Looking anywhere but at Nokama, he replied awkwardly.

"Ehm…hehe…I forgot it at home…I-I'm sure it'll be okay though. Matau doesn't do the same thing every year, right? He'd probably be bored with the water balloon thing now…" Nokama shook her head.

"I doubt it. He made Onewa scream like a toddler last time…he'd probably be out just to try it again and see if he'd get the same reaction. You know how he is about things like that…he never was good at listening when it came to not pranking people with things they're afraid of…" She sighed. "I honestly wonder what goes on in his head sometimes when this day rolls around…in any case." She smiled. "What matters now is that we at least have one umbrella to keep us dry, or you at any rate…do you know if Nuju's actually going to venture outside this time?" He blinked, thinking that through.

"I…um…I forgot he wasn't out last year. He might come out, depending on how interesting his stargazing gets…considering it's Nuju we're talking about, he'll probably stay cooped up all day." She glanced curiously at him now, looking him over with concern.

"Vakama…are you feeling alright? You seem to be forgetting more often than you normally do, and normally you don't say things like that about Nuju." He blinked, seeming a bit awkward now.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm alright. Sorry, I'm a bit tired this morning. Fell out of bed last night and had trouble going back to sleep." Her concerned look grew stronger and he mentally cringed.

"You didn't have a vision, did you?" She asked. "I thought that was over and done with by now." He seemed rather stunned, shaking his head quickly and stammering.

"No no no, nothing like that. I just…uhm…I think it was just a nightmare or something. It wasn't anything really big. Besides, it was just strange and silly stuff anyway. N-nothing to worry about." Now she looked suspicious, not to mention highly unimpressed.

"Vakama, you'd better not be lying to me, because you know how much I hate it when you do that." Struggling to find words, he soon found a way to change the topic, and stammered.

"Oh, hey, isn't that Mihkoro?" He pointed over at his twin brother, causing Nokama to look away, giving him time to sigh with relief and mentally collect himself. She smiled faintly when she saw Mihkoro moving towards them, but blinked when she saw his expression was one of mild agitation.

"He seems angry…that's not a good thing…any idea what's wrong?" Vakama shook his head, mentally thanking his brother for showing up when he did.

"No, actually…he does seem a bit angry though doesn't he…wonder what's wrong…" Not too long after, Mihkoro had reached them, and muttered sourly.

"If I run into Matau again today, I swear I'm going to kill him. He's gone from balloons to buckets apparently, and he nearly hit me with one!" Vakama and Nokama both blinked, looking startled.

"He what?" Nokama exclaimed. "I-is he actually DROPPING the buckets? Or just dumping them?" Mihkoro scowled as he held up a metal bucket with traces of water left within. Vakama grimaced as he looked it over. That was just going too far.

"Honestly, just what possessed him to do that?" Mihkoro and Nokama both looked at him, Mihkoro with a startled expression, and Nokama with one of deeper suspicion.

"Since when do you talk like that, Vakama?" She looked between the pair, eyes narrowing slightly as she let her gaze rest on Mihkoro. "And normally you'd give some sort of sarcastic comment about the buckets. What are you two up to?" The twins looked at each other, Vakama seeming unimpressed, and Mihkoro looking highly unsure of the situation. Finally, Mihkoro spoke up.

"I…well…um…" Nokama blinked, startled by the sudden voice change. However, before she got a chance to ask, water poured down over the trio, drenching all three of them and completely ruining Mihkoro and Vakama's disguises. Spluttering and cursing, the former 'Vakama' glared up at Matau and said angrily.

"That's just mean! Sheesh! What is your problem?" The real Vakama in the meantime, shivered, shaking his head a little and spraying colored water off of his frame.

"S-so…n-not f-funny…" He mumbled, his teeth chattering. Nokama blinked, looking the pair over with confusion.

"Wait…but…you…and…how…I…" Her eyes were wide now, her expression one of shock and utter bewilderment. "How did…but…" Eventually she got over this, and she said, her face red and her expression becoming one of utter disbelief, though it showed traces of irritation. "How could you two do this to me?" Vakama pointed at Mihkoro at once.

"His idea! He said it wouldn't cause any problems! I didn't want to!" Mihkoro shot him a scowl.

"Oh thanks for sticking up for me…tch…" Seeing Vakama's expression of alarm and obvious nervousness, Nokama couldn't help but giggle quietly. Putting one arm around each of them, she said, sounding amused, though trying to sound annoyed.

"That was seriously not funny." Mihkoro smirked at her.

"Not even a little?" She couldn't help but give a small grin as she looked the pair of soaking wet Toa over.

"…maybe just a little bit."


	5. 4: Feeling Good for OttoxMandarin

Mihkoro sighed contentedly as he looked out over the water, absently digging his bare feet deeper into the glittery sand that covered the beach near Ga-Koro. This was, perhaps, the day with the best outlook that he'd ever had, though he couldn't be positive until things actually started to happen. Finally, he and Ori were going to meet up for one of their first few get-togethers on their own, and just the thought of it made his heart race. If everything went as well as he had hoped it would, he might even find out if Ori liked him enough to be his girlfriend, though he wasn't holding a lot of hope to this. After all, the fact that she was a Toa of Light, and he was a Toa of Shadow and Fire probably would've had an effect on it, right? Normally light and shadows didn't mix, at all…if anything they pretty much killed each other. Then again, perhaps that was what made this whole thing feel that much more special to Mihkoro. Perhaps it was because it proved to him that light and dark didn't have to be constantly trying to over-power the other, or even just hold a grudge against the other. As far as he knew, Ori didn't mind having him around, and he knew full well that he thoroughly enjoyed having her around, despite the irritating tingle that shot through him whenever she touched his skin.

It was this same, tingling sensation that swept through him as Ori drew near. Something about feeling this tingling without her touching him made Mihkoro uneasy. She was mad, and he could tell. Turning to look at her as she approached, he asked, looking over her irritated expression with vague concern. "What's wrong, Ori?"

"Izotz, that's what." She responded, her tone sharp and harsh enough to make Mihkoro wince. "He had no right to do that, I swear!" Mihkoro's worry faded now, and he sighed, his expression now seeming bored.

"What'd he do this time?" The Toa of Light's words were like a knife as she responded.

"Oh I'll tell you what he did. He set up a date for us without even telling us about it! Honestly, what gave him the idea he could just do that without asking us first? Seriously, just wha-" She was cut off as Mihkoro, deciding it'd be better to quiet her than let her keep ranting, closed the gap between them, and put a finger to her lips, ignoring the burning feeling he got from it.

"Ori…" He said quietly. "Izotz is Izotz. He always does things like that without asking. Please calm down." She still looked ready to keep griping, but held her tongue, finishing her little 'speech' with a heavy sigh as he lowered his hand.

"Sorry." She said quietly. "It's just that…he shouldn't have done it. He just shouldn't have." Mihkoro, ignoring the stinging in his hand, gave a faint smile.

"You're still complaining, Ori. Just focus on something else for now, alright? It's a beautiful day out, I'm not burning alive because of it, and we don't have to worry about Izotz's little schemes until later. Besides, it just gives us a motive to get back at him." She gave a faint laugh.

"Yeah, true enough I guess…what can we use though?" Mihkoro gave a sly grin.

"We can work on that one after. Besides, all good things to those who wait, right? We'll get him back real good if we hold off til he's not ready for it." Ori seemed vaguely amused.

"He's never ready for anything. Honestly, he's ADHD." The dark Toa laughed as she said this.

"Even better…a-anyway, now that we're in a better mood, I…" He faltered, his face going red. "I…" She looked him over with mild concern now.

"Is something wrong? Your face went red." That only made it worse.

"I-I'm okay…I just…um…I was wondering…would you…I mean, I…" This really wasn't his day, was it? He couldn't even get out the words he was trying to. Finally, in a flash of courage, and perhaps mild stupidity, he muttered. "The heck with it." Moving closer, he quickly, but gently put a hand on the back of Ori's head, and, feeling like an idiot, kissed her, wincing at the sting that shot through his face, but remaining there. Ori in the meantime looked utterly bewildered, and as Mihkoro let go and pulled back, she just stared at him in shock before finally managing to stammer out.

"D-did you just kiss me?" The dark Toa, who's face was by now as bright red as his eyes were, gave a feeble nod, sounding a bit dazed as he responded.

"Y-yeah…I-I think I just did…" As realization fully sunk into his mind, he staggered, giving a weak and sheepish smile before collapsing, out cold.

^v^v^

When he woke up, he found himself in a hut in Ga-Koro, with Ori watching over him with obvious amusement. "Welcome back to the land of the living." She commented as he dazedly sat up. "You're just in time."

"…for what?" He asked awkwardly, still trying to clear the fog in his mind.

"That date Izotz set up." Mihkoro blinked, groaning as he fell back on the bed.

"…Mata Nui save me…" Ori laughed faintly as she leaned closer, her expression one of amusement.

"Well hurry up lover-boy." She teased. "You've got a big night ahead of you." She stood up and turned to head out of the room, hesitating beside the doorway as she turned and glanced back at him. "Besides, if you want to get back at Izotz, you'll have to get out of bed eventually." And with that, she left the room, leaving Mihkoro as he was, blinking and trying to figure out just why he hadn't been blasted apart when he kissed her. Deciding not to question it, he gave an impish smile as he looked up at the ceiling.

"…man that felt good."


	6. 5: Falling Asleep for OttoxMandarin

No…this couldn't be happening! Mata Nui, why was this happening!

"Gali stay with me!" She looked weakly up at me, her warm, sunset orange eyes looking eerily peaceful as she hung limply in my arms.

"Kopaka…" She said quietly, mustering the strength to give me a weak smile. "It'll be okay…Do you really w-want Tahu to see you panicking like this?" How could she care about my ego when she was dying? Didn't she care about that?

"So what if Tahu sees. By this point I just don't care. You're more important than my reputation. I…I…" Why couldn't I get the words out? Were they really that hard to say? It was just three simple words, and they weren't even big ones!" I…" Gali managed enough strength to lift a hand and weakly put a finger to my lips. Deciding I should stop and just listen, I watched as her weak smile grew a little bigger.

"I-I know, Kopaka…I love you too…" Those were the four words I'd been longing to hear her say, but had always been so afraid to ask her about. Now I heard them as she lay dying. How could I have missed that the Rahkshi had overwhelmed her? Details were always something I paid attention to, so how did I not see this coming?

"I'm sorry…" I finally murmured as she let her hand drop from my mouth. "I should've done something to stop this…" She made a quiet shushing noise as she shook her head.

"It's not your fault, Kopaka… Th-this is m…my destiny…" Shakily she moved her hand to one of mine, giving me one last weak smile before her life slipped away completely. She was gone… No, she couldn't be. She was too strong to die. She was probably just sleeping. Yes, that had to be it. Gali was just asleep. She needed sleep. It'd been a long day after all. That was when Pohatu and the others showed up. Predictably, Tahu the loudmouth was the first to talk.

"She's…she's dead, isn't she…" It was all I could do not to set Gali down, stand up, and beat my Brother within an inch of his pitiful life.

"She's not dead." I argued, though I knew it was pointless and childish. "Sh-she's just sleeping…" I didn't even have to look at Tahu to know he was glaring at me.

"Yeah, with her eyes open and her heart stopped. Face it, Kopaka, she's gone. No amount of lying to yourself will bring her back." I was glad to hear Onua speak in my defence.

"Tahu, did it ever occur to you that he's trying to lessen the pain? He loved her more than life itself, and now she's not here to keep him going." Normally I would question just how Onua knew about that, but presently I didn't care. Gali was all that mattered. My attention turned back to her as I zoned out on the others, looking her weak smile over and finding it impossible not to smile back. Slowly I closed her eyes, ignoring the tears that were slowly rolling down my cheeks.

"Sleep well, Gali…I know we'll see each other again someday…I'll fall asleep too sometime. Then we'll be together…just like we should have been…"


	7. 6: Meaning of Fear for InTheLight

"Hlahlu, run!" The Ga-Matoran didn't have to be told twice. Scrambling to get up again, she looked over her shoulder, staring in horror as Matau nearly got hit by a glowing red energy disk. The four legged monstrosities that'd attacked them were unlike any she'd seen before. Even with all of her adventures down into the broken sections of the Archives, something she knew was a bad idea, she hadn't seen any Rahi this vicious or cruel tempered. She screamed as Matau was smashed down, landing sprawled on his back a little ways away and barely even getting time to put his hands up before the spider-like creature was upon him, trying to sink its pincers into his flesh. Unsure of what to do, the Ga-Matoran pulled what looked like a revolver-type launcher of sorts from her pocket, shooting several smaller sized disks at the Visorak and managing to knock it off of her boyfriend. Matau scrambled to his feet as it fell back, dashing towards Hlahlu and taking hold of her hand as he raced past, pulling her along with him.

"M-Matau, are you okay?" Hlahlu asked nervously as she ran after him, clinging to his hand as though it would vanish if she let go.

"I'll be okay-fine when you're safe-secure, Hlahlu." He responded, sounding somewhat out of breath as he glanced briefly over his shoulder at the oncoming Rahi and ducking as a grey energy disk nearly hit his head. "But do you have any idea-clue what these things are here for?" Hlahlu shook her head.

"I've had about as much luck as you have…" She said weakly, as though ashamed of this fact. Matau glanced over his shoulder again, wishing there was a way to cheer his girlfriend up, though considering they were presently running for their lives, it wasn't an easy task.

"Don't trouble-worry about that." He said, trying to change the mood as best he could, ducking another spinner. "J-just trouble-worry about the Visor-ACK!" He was smashed forwards as a spinner collided with his back, forcing him to let go of Hlahlu as he fell limp to the floor, unable to move. Hlahlu screamed and nearly toppled over, managing to get around the corner of a nearby hallway. Pressing herself against the wall, she whimpered quietly as she looked over at Matau, her face white as she watched the Visorak close in. Right before her eyes, they began to wrap the downed Toa of Air in webs, the panic of the whole situation etched in Matau's eyes. He looked worriedly at Hlahlu, trying to tell her with his eyes to make a run for it, though for the moment the Ga-Matoran was too terrified to move. Tears began streaming down her face as the last bits of Matau's frame were covered up in web, his sticky prison soon being dragged down the hall and into the darkness.

After several minutes, which felt like several pain-stakingly quiet hours, Hlahlu slid down the wall, curling her knees up to her chest and crying into them. Why hadn't she done something? She could've at least tried to fight them back, couldn't she? She shuddered at the thought of what might happen to Matau. She might not ever even see him again. As regret rushed through her, she murmured. "W-why Matau…"

Her despair eventually grew into hatred, and as she sat there, her anger began to build. Who said she couldn't fight back? Since when was she the one to leave a friend for dead? Forcing herself to stand, she looked at her launcher, and then down the hall where Matau was taken. "I've been hiding for too long…" She murmured. "It's time to break free from that, and by the time I'm finished…" her empty fist clenched.

"Those Visorak will know the true meaning of fear."


	8. 7: Father and Son for InTheLight

"Mihkoro! Come here please!" The Toa of Shadow and Fire groaned quietly as he opened his eyes. Rubbing them as he sat up, Mihkoro yawned and called back, still only half awake.

"Coming Hera!" Stretching as he got up off the couch, the twenty-four year old quietly wandered out of the living room and into the kitchen, smiling in amusement as his white-haired wife chased their son around the room, trying to scoop him up and hand him over to Mihkoro. Laughing quietly as the two year old nimbly dodged past his mother again, the dark Toa asked.

"Need some help?" Hera sighed with exasperation as she stood up straight, pushing some of her formerly tidy hair out of her face as she looked at him.

"It would be appreciated. I've got a meeting in ten minutes, and Jaller is adamant about coming along. I just need you to keep him entertained while I'm out." Mihkoro raised an eyebrow, snagging his child and tucking the giggling boy under one arm as he asked.

"Aren't your meetings generally short?"

"Normally, yes. However, this one could be a couple hours." The dark Toa mentally cringed. How was he supposed to get enough sleep for his own job if he had to watch over Jaller for a few hours? Hera had nearly skinned him alive, figuratively, the last time he resorted to coffee and energy drinks to stay awake, and the last thing he needed was to tick her off again. In his opinion, nothing was scarier than a ticked off Toa of Lightning, especially when it was the one he was married to. Finally, after thinking the situation over, Mihkoro asked weakly.

"Is there any chance that Vakama can come help?" To his horror, though he didn't show it, Hera shook her head.

"I already tried asking him. He's barely able to keep up with his own job at the moment. Otherwise he would've loved to come and help out. Nokama's too busy as well." Mihkoro swallowed.

"What about Whenua?" His wife sighed.

"Busy. There's a bunch of new things that have to be archived. And before you ask, Onewa was in an accident on the statue fields and hurt his back."

"Uhg…what about Nuju or Matau?" Hera gave him a blank and mildly unimpressed stare, making her husband cringe slightly.

"You know that Nuju has his own son to take care of, and do you honestly want to risk having Jaller learn one of Matau's habits? Tree-speak I can handle, but cockiness drives me crazy." Mihkoro sighed, giving up all hope on getting enough sleep.

"Okay. Just try to be home soon, alright?" The Toa of Lightning smiled a bit, kissing her husband's cheek and ruffling her son's hair.

"I will. Stay safe you two." Jaller squealed gleefully as his hair was ruffled, and Mihkoro chuckled.

"We'll be fine, Hera. We're big boys."

"Yah! Big boys!" Hera giggled quietly.

"Okay. Love you both!" And as she said this, she headed out the door and vanished from sight. No sooner had this happened than Mihkoro's smile faded. Shifting so he was holding Jaller up in front of himself, he sighed and asked tiredly, though he sounded amused.

"Well, mini-man, what am I gonna do with you? It's just you and me in this big lonely house." The two year old laughed gleefully at his father's expression.

"Pway!"

"You want to play, huh?" The boy nodded gleefully. Mihkoro couldn't help but laugh quietly as he sat Jaller on his arm and wandered into the living room, sitting down on the couch again. "Well, what do you want to play?" Jaller made a quiet 'um' noise as he looked around, one of his small fingers on his bottom lip as though lost in heavy thought. Inevitably, he wound up sucking on it, before finally pulling it out of his mouth and using the spit-coated appendage to point at the window, piping out in a loud and mildly squeaky voice.

"Out dere!" Mihkoro blinked as he looked outside. It appeared to be a beautiful and sunshine-soaked day, and as far as he could see, void of clouds. It was the sort of day that commonly gave the dark Toa a severe headache, since light and shadow never mixed well. For a long time, he'd been exceedingly sensitive to days like this. So sensitive, in fact, that he was forced to have his wedding on a cloudy and dreary looking day instead of the sun-ridden week before like it'd been planned for. Apparently he'd zoned out as he thought about this, because he was snapped back to attention thanks to his son.

"Daddy? You otay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm alright." He gave Jaller a warm and cheerful smile. "You want to play outside, eh?" The orange-blonde haired boy nodded eagerly. "Alrighty. Run and grab your shoes, I'll grab a hat, and we'll go out and play." Jaller grinned as he slid off his father's lap and bolted off. Mihkoro waited until the boy was out of sight before forming a wide-brimmed hat out of shadows and putting it on. Of all his secrets, this was the one thing that he would never tell his son unless he absolutely had to. It was bad enough that most Matoran didn't tolerate him because of it, so why risk having his son grow up thinking the same way?

"Otay Daddy! I'm weady!" Mihkoro blinked and looked over as Jaller toddled into reach and grinned.

"They're on backwards, silly goose." The dark Toa commented with a laugh. Without giving the toddler much time to react, Mihkoro had scooped him up and was working on getting his shoes on the right way. Jaller blinked as he was picked up, but burst into a fit of giggles as, once he'd finished, the dark Toa began to tickle him. Squirming and laughing the whole time, Jaller grinned as he tried to catch his father's hands, finally grabbing one and squeaking through his laughter.

"Daddy done! Daddy!" Mihkoro laughed as he stopped his 'assault', hugging the little boy as he stood up and headed for the back door.

Soon the pair were outside, tossing a ball back and forth while Jaller giggled and chattered away about utter nothingness. All the while, Mihkoro could feel his headache growing stronger, from a mild twinge all the way to a severe throb. More than a few times, he'd considered telling Jaller that playtime outside was over, though the fact that he rarely got to enjoy one-on-one time with his son always overruled the desire to retreat. Besides, what self respecting, not to mention normal, father would deny their child the ability to play outside on such a bright and painfully glorious day? Eventually however, the time came when Mihkoro needed relief, and he said.

"Hey Jaller, Daddy needs to sit down for a while, okay? Even if it's just for a little bit." The two year old blinked, seeming a bit sad, but nodded a little.

"Otay Daddy… Can you tell me a story?" The dark Toa was mildly surprised by the question, but smiled and nodded all the same.

"Alright. Let's find somewhere shady, and you'll get a story." It didn't take long for the pair to be sitting in the shade of a large and leafy tree, Jaller cuddled up on his father's lap, staring intently into Mihkoro's ruby red eyes as the story began.

^v^

Several hours later, Hera arrived, back from her meeting. The house was unusually silent, she thought, glancing around for the non-existent welcome wagon that normally would've come running to say hello and then explain how the entire day had gone. It also surprised her to see that both Jaller's and Mihkoro's shoes were missing, something that was a rarity in and of itself. Now panic was starting to set in. Where were they? As she wandered through the house, finding no traces of her husband or son anywhere, Hera eventually discovered that the back door was open slightly. Now fearing that Mihkoro had burned to a crisp and that Jaller was lost somewhere on his own, the Toa of Lightning headed outside to search the yard, her expression one of utmost worry. She was just about ready to start shouting for them, when she caught sight of Mihkoro's shoes. Blinking a few times, Hera moved closer, starting to giggle at the scene she discovered.

There, sitting up against the trunk of a large tree, was Mihkoro, eyes closed and mouth open slightly as he slept. Sitting on his lap and cuddled up against the twenty-four year old's chest was Jaller, hands loosely gripping his father's black and red shirt, and a small smile on his face. Hera couldn't help but giggle a little more as she looked the pair over, and murmured gently.

"Well, that's that…" And as she turned to head inside again, she distinctly heard her son murmur.

"Love you Daddy…Best Daddy ever…"


	9. 8: Has to Go for InTheLight

"…Are you ever going to get a haircut?"

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Maybe it's because your hair is so long that it just about drags on the ground."

Nuju was starting to get tired of this argument. It was one thing to have the alternate dimension's version of yourself show up, but it was quite another when his hair could be used as a towel and still have length to spare. As it was, Kanju already had to keep it in a large braid so it wasn't getting in the way, and even just the thought about trying to wash all that hair made Nuju shiver. He'd never seen the point in hair that extremely long, particularly on a man, and thus was trying to convince his alternate self that it wasn't the best choice in style. However, despite his arguments, reasoning, and out right demands that a haircut was in order, the older Toa refused to budge in his thinking.

"I just feel cold without it." Nuju gave him a blank stare.

"Kanju… You're a Toa of Ice." That made his double pause.

"…I-I know that." He stammered finally, sounding sheepish. "A-anyway, I'm not getting it cut. Period the end."

"Did you even try cutting it off before?"

"You've never tried cutting your hair with a pair of ice scissors, have you?" Nuju sighed, shaking his head as he thought the situation over. It'd been at least three or four months since Kanju had been rescued from the pocket dimension he'd been trapped in, a dimension that Nuju hated remembering, and even after the shock of just having a second Nuju around had worn off, things just seemed wrong. That hair had to go.

"Would you at least get some of it cut off? Honestly, I'm not telling you to shave your head." Kanju crossed his arms and shook his head, frowning somewhat.

"I'm not getting it clipped." Though he hated to admit it, Nuju could tell he was fighting a losing battle. In one last attempt to get things dealt with in his favor, he said with exasperation.

"It's been at least ten to fifteen years since you got your hair cut. What happened to the excitement of doing something new?"

"You really don't remember too much of that dimension, do you? Something new was a BAD thing. Always. I'm not getting my hair cut, and nothing you say will convince me to do otherwise." Nuju sighed, giving up as he just shook his head.

"Fine, fine… go ahead and keep all of that hair. I still think it's a bad idea to have that all." That was when an idea came to him. Who said he had to be the one to make Kanju get his hair cut? He could think of a few different people that he could probably bribe with a box of doughnuts to pull the deed off, and one, bright green haired individual stood out more than everyone else.

^v^v^

A few hours later found Nuju sitting in Matau's living room, sipping a glass of water and watching boredly as Matau sat huddled up on the couch beside his chair and whimpering, his wings wrapped around him somewhat.

"Y-you owe me double-extra for that, Nuju-Brother…" The Toa of Air said weakly, rubbing his arms violently as he tried to warm himself up. You never say-mentioned anything a-about him retaliating…th-that snow-frost was cold!" Nuju shrugged slightly, relaxing back in his chair.

"Fine. I'll put an extra doughnut in the box for you. What matters is that you got it done." Matau looked at him, hand trembling a bit as he grabbed the blanket he always left half on his couch and half lying on the floor. Wrapping the blanket around himself, the Toa of Air whined.

"Only one? Kanju-Brother's probably going to be mad-fuming for weeks now…" Nuju raised an eyebrow at that.

"Why? You didn't cut off that much, did you?" Matau gulped, eyes watering a little as he bundled the blanket around him a bit more. "…Matau, what exactly did you do to him?"

"Y-you never said not to cut it all off…" Now Nuju seemed uncertain.

"You… didn't shave his head, did you?" The silence that followed only left room for one answer. Nuju groaned as he set his water down, hanging his head and resting it in his hands.

"Matau… you're an idiot."


	10. 9: What a Shocker for InTheLight

Mihkoro flinched slightly at the sound of footsteps somewhere behind him. This was supposed to be a recon mission, not a run for his life, and he knew full well that if his target found him, he'd be in trouble. This Toa was, from what the report had said, a loose cannon, fiery and more than willing to blast someone with lightning if they ticked her off. As this was the case, the further he could be from her, the better off he felt. Quickly and quietly, he ducked down a hall, his expression grim as he waited for whoever had been there to pass by. They never came. That wasn't good. Swallowing quietly, Mihkoro cautiously leaned his head around the corner. No sign of anyone. After waiting for a little while, he gave a faint laugh. Here he was being overly cautious, freaked out by someone who was probably just on a casual walk around the Metru.

"How could I have been so silly." He commented with a faint laugh… though he cut himself short when he felt the cold tip of a blade press against the back of his neck.

"Probably because you're not even a decent enough Makuta to cause any real damage." A feminine voice hissed in his ear, sounding harsh and more than ready to destroy him. "Why were you following me?" The nineteen year old swallowed as he felt himself get grabbed by his hair, his head being pulled backwards. He ended up finding himself lying on his back, with a silvery colored dagger pressed against his neck, and staring into the wild reddish orange eyes of the prettiest woman he'd ever seen. Her skin was dark and appeared to be evenly tanned, her frame was light and well shaped, and her hair, which was long enough to reach her ribs, was white as snow. Normally in a situation like this, Mihkoro would've had something sarcastic, or at least semi-intelligent, to say, but faced with this beautiful and highly scary woman, he didn't have much going on in his head. Thus, all he was able to blither out was rather stupid.

"Why didn't I find you before now?" A kick in the side was his answer as she withdrew her blade, glaring down at him with a look of irritation.

"The next time Teridax wants to find me, tell him that I want more of a challenge than the runt of the litter." Mihkoro winced at those words, and felt his temper rising. Did she really just call him that. Forcing himself to his feet, he snapped.

"You caught me unprepared. If you would've been the way you were supposed to be, I'd have you down in seconds." The woman smirked at him as she drew out her long, double ended staff.

"Sure you would've. Face it, kid. You're new to this. Just go home and play with your toys." Mihkoro drew his glaive, eyes narrowing.

"How dare you!" He moved to attack, but he found himself blasted against the wall behind him with a bolt of lightning. Groaning as he hit the ground, his glaive clattering to the ground a little ways away from him, he struggled to get up, only to have the Toa push him back down again, rolling him onto his back and holding him down easily with one of her hands. "U-uhm…" She was smiling mischievously at him. Why was she smiling at him? That wasn't the sort of expression he'd expected, especially from someone so willing to rip him apart just moments before. The Toa leaned in close, one knee on his chest so she could use her hands to push her hair back.

"So… what's your name, kid?"

"U-uh…" She raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting name." She leaned down a little closer, her breath able to be felt on his ear as she whispered loudly. "This was a fun game. Next time give me more of a challenge though. Maybe if you win I'll give you something a little extra." A sharp tingle shot through Mihkoro's cheek as she leaned back and stroked it with her fingers. "Surprise me, and you'll get a bonus." With that, she stood up, turned and hurried off, leaving Mihkoro flat on his back and blinking as he stared after her.

"...d-did she almost kiss me?"


	11. 10: Blind Date

Onua didn't ask for this.

Then again, would anyone else have deliberately asked for it either? There he was, sitting on a park bench, waiting for a girl he didn't know, on a blind date he hadn't known about until getting there. He could still recall his exact words to Lewa when he'd finally been told by the youngest Toa on the team just what this 'grand-special' outing was about.

"Lewa," He had stated calmly, though deep down he had been squirming at the thought of going on a date, especially with someone he didn't know. "Please explain the point in calling me out here for this." Of course, Lewa had his reasons, his excuses, his flat out whining that Onua shouldn't be single at his age...

Now that he thought about it, why didn't Lewa have a date yet either? Surely the Toa of Air had considered that before his complaints. Onua thought for a total of three seconds on that before shaking his head. No, Lewa wouldn't have thought about that. Sometimes Onua caught himself questioning if Lewa even thought at all. Of all the Toa in the world, Onua had never met one quite as different as Lewa. Always energetic, always up to something at least slightly crazy in some way or another...

"T-Toa Onua?" He blinked at the mention of his name, and turned to find himself looking at a pretty, though perhaps a bit plain, young woman. Her eyes were teal, her hair navy with green streaks, and her expression one of confusion and nervousness. More than a bit surprised, the Toa of Earth nodded.

"Yes? Can I help you with something?" She fumbled nervously with her fingers as she nodded slightly.

"U-uhm... I-I was curious if you'd seen anyone come this w-way, that'd mentioned a... Uhm..." her face went red as she stopped talking, but Onua already figured out what she was meaning. Now all he wanted to know was how such a pretty little thing like her got tangled up in the silliness of a surprise blind date. Trying to shake the surprise out of his own voice, the twenty-nine year old responded, albeit awkwardly.

"If you're referring to a blind date, I fear you might be disappointed." She blinked and tilted her head with confusion, though still rather nervous. Onua tapped the bench with his hand lightly, and as she sat down at the other end of it, she asked quietly.

"What d-do you mean, sir?"

"Well," He responded, sighing quietly as he now rested his hands in his lap. "I don't think you'll be finding a prince charming with the person you got stuck with." When she tilted her head in confusion, the Toa continued to explain. "You see, there hasn't been anyone who's mentioned being on one, leaving me with a strong suspicion that I know who the other person is." The woman blinked a few times, thinking his words over with mild curiosity before it finally dawned on her what he'd meant. Staring at him with shock, not to mention utter disbelief, she gasped out.

"... You?" The Toa gave a small nod.

"Correct. It seems that Lewa set us both up without really giving too much warning as to whom we'd be going with. I… hope this isn't going to be a problem for you." She shook her head, fumbling with her hoodie as she moved a little closer to him, though still not quite in arm's reach.

"I-it's not a problem… I-I didn't expect a-a Toa, that's all… I-I don't have anything against Toa, mind… j-just wasn't expecting it…" Onua gave her a small smile.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, who said this had to be a romantic time? There's nothing wrong with just sitting and having a conversation. It's not like we were told we had to do something, right?" She blinked several times at his response, not quite expecting it.

"…y-you aren't looking for romance either?" She asked quietly. Onua's smile grew as he shook his head.

"Nope. I didn't even know this was a blind date until I got here and Lewa left." He then paused before a faint, mischievous gleam crossed his eyes. "You know," He commented. "We could even work on a way to get Lewa back for this." She blinked, looking curious before glancing around and shuffling a little closer.

"Oh?" She asked quietly, sounding interested. "H-how do you intend to do that?"

"Well, there's one idea I have…"

^v^v^v^

"Onua-Brother, why am I here again?" The Toa of Earth grinned as he looked at Lewa.

"Well, since you set me up yesterday, I figured it'd be nice to return the favor." Lewa's eyes widened with shock.

"Wh-what? B-but… no. Nuh-uh." Onua chuckled quietly, putting a hand on his younger Brother's shoulder and shaking his head with amusement.

"Come now Brother, surely you aren't afraid of something as simple as a blind date. Especially after you set me up a few days ago and it went fine." Lewa shuddered, shaking his head profusely as he tried to leave, though Onua held him fast. "Lewa, you're being really childish about this. Just give it a shot, alright? Besides, how bad could it be?" The Toa of Air paused to think about that. Onua had a point. After all, this was the calmest and most understanding of the whole team, wasn't it? He wouldn't set Lewa up for anything too bad… right?

"Well… okay-fine." Onua gave a smile at that, and Lewa shivered slightly. Was that mischief in his Brother's eyes? No, it couldn't be. Shaking it off as a trick of the light, Lewa glanced around. "So… where is she?" That was when a rather annoyed, eerily familiar voice spoke.

"Onua, what in Mata Nui's name is going on?" Lewa spun on the spot, eyes wide as he stared at Tahu. Onua just grinned.

"Ah Tahu, perfect timing. I was hoping you'd make it soon." He then looked at Lewa.

"Are you seeing now just how scary a blind date can be?" Lewa's face went white.

"Wh-WHAT?" Onua just laughed before shaking his head and turning as Tahu looked at the pair with confusion.

"…what's going on?" He had no idea that he'd been set up. Onua grinned as he thought it over. It was a perfect way to get at Lewa. Besides, Tahu still hadn't made up for losing the bet he'd made a week ago that Onua wouldn't take a blind date. What a perfect way to make him pay for it. As the Toa of Earth walked away, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"This is going to be interesting."


	12. 11: Facing the Storm

Everything was quiet up on the mountain. Everything save the howl of the wind. Even still, the quiet sat with an uneasy air, as though it were the calm before a dreadful storm. The Matoran were all in their huts by now, taking shelter from the steadily worsening weather. Only one person remained outside, his shoulder-length, pearly white hair blowing wildly around his pale face, and his icy blue eyes, one of which concealed behind a scope-like eyepiece, held a grim stare. Tall and proud in appearance, this man wore nothing by means of winter apparel. No down filled coat, no mittens or scarf. Only his white and pale grey t-shirt, his light grey pants, and a pair of white boots covered his decently muscled frame from the wind and snow, neither of which bothered him. Immune to the cold and barely even phased by the snow and ice, Kopaka Nuva was the sort of man that very little could hinder when he got his mind set on something, and on this evening, it was preventing the storm from calling down an avalanche. Such things were normal in Kopaka's line of work. In fact he was the only one on the island who could pull it off. However, this night also seemed more sinister to him than a mere avalanche hazard. No, something else was at work tonight, and as a Toa, he vowed he wouldn't rest until the threat was gone. Head held high and expression void of all emotion safe determination, he headed out of the village and into the storm, one hand on his sword handles, and his shield gripped tightly with the other.

It didn't take him long to find the most likely spot for an avalanche to start, and shortly after he got there the snow started sliding. His eyes narrowed as he drew his sword, digging one of the blades into the snow and giving it a slight twist. Veins of ice shot through the white powder, and within moments it had frozen solid, no longer a hazard to anyone. Satisfied, the Toa of Ice turned to go search other areas… only to have someone's fist collide with his cheek and knock him to the ground. Kopaka barely even had time to raise his shield before the figure's glaive was brought down over his head, the attack narrowly being blocked as the Toa of Ice got up again. The figure was shrouded in darkness, though a frame was visible, and its eyes were glowing ruby red. Kopaka had only seen traits like this one race of people, and one in particular was flashing across his mind.

"Teridax? … No, you can't be… He's taller than that. Who are you?" The figure gave a faint laugh as he readied himself to strike again, though he said nothing. Kopaka could feel the temperature rising, but before he even had a chance to stop the problem, the stranger unleashed a stream of fire, hitting Kopaka square on and setting him alight. Falling over backwards into the snow, the Toa of Ice hurriedly pushed some over himself, extinguishing the flames as he got up again and counter-attacked with what looked like a stream of hailstones at his assailant, who countered with more flames. Kopaka intensified his attack, and the stranger did likewise. The volley of fire and ice went on for several minutes, neither willing to drop their attack and risk getting hurt. However, Kopaka ended up on the losing side. Not even getting the time to change to his Kanohi Hau, he was struck down by the flames, a circle of fire blasting up around him as the stranger drew close. Kopaka looked around for his weapons, only to find they were on the other side of the flame barrier. Now the figure was standing a foot or two away from the Toa of Ice, a malicious smirk becoming visible as the shadows dissipated slightly. Kopaka started getting up again, but part of the flame wall bent, hitting him with the fire and scorching his exposed skin. Gasping and inhaling sharply as pain shot through his side where the fire hit, he again managed to get to his feet, forming a sword and shield of ice for himself. However, this was the last bit of his energy that he could muster, and already he was starting to feel the cold air biting at his skin. The stranger attacked again, shattering Kopaka's shield with one easy stroke before breaking the sword with his back-swing. Kicking Kopaka down again, he gave a faint laugh as the fire ring tightened on the pair, tongues of fire lashing out and hitting Kopaka just enough to make him squirm. As these attacks slowed, Kopaka once again looked at his attacker, his now stormy blue eyes holding uncertainty, though no trace of fear was evident.

"Wh-who are you?" He gasped out, spitting out a little water as he did so. "And what do you want with me?" The figure laughed again as he watched Kopaka with sadistic amusement.

"I am the right hand of Teridax." He said finally, his tone holding malicious pleasure at Kopaka's pain and loss of power. "… You're going to die up here, you know. You'll die, and your precious little Toa brotherhood will fall with you. I can hardly wait to hear their screams… especially that girl you fancy. Wouldn't that be exciting?" Fear briefly flashed across Kopaka's face as he listened to the stranger's words, though it wasn't fear for himself. It was for the others, for Gali. But how did this person know about that? The powerless Toa forced himself to his feet now, a glare in his eyes that, though still somewhat intimidating, would have been much more so had he still had his elemental strength to back it up. The stranger laughed again. "You're weak, Kopaka. Weak, defenceless… I'm going to kill you right here, and once your dead, Gali will be seeing your head on her doorstep. Wouldn't that be a lovely little treat for her?" Again slight fear glinted in Kopaka's eyes, but he held strong in his position.

"You are the weak one." He responded quietly, forcing himself not to shiver from the cold. "Were you strong you would have struck me down long before now. You're afraid to do it, aren't you? Come on, kill me!" The stranger shivered, his hands quavering as he gripped his glaive tighter. "Do it already!" However, instead of striking the Toa down, the figure took a step back out of the fire ring, vanishing into the darkness. As the flames dissipated, Kopaka let his pain finally show. Stumbling over to his sword and shield, he picked them up, wincing as they rubbed against the burns he now possessed. It was going to be a long walk back to the village, and in the state he was in, he couldn't get there soon enough. However, as he walked, allowing his body to shiver to try and keep himself moving, and thus a bit warmer, one thought daunted him.

Just who was it that had attacked him? And when would he strike again?


	13. 12: Test of Patience

Pokawi: A small and flightless bird Rahi known easily for their bright colors and tell-tale 'pok pok' noises.

Tahu: A hot-headed Fire Toa known for his pride, quick temper, and tendency to utter colourful expletives when frustrated.

One can only assume what sort of chaos, cursing and general stupidity could come from such a hazardous pair up. It's also this pair up that, for some reason beyond Tahu's comprehension, Onua had chosen for a patience-testing exercise. Sitting on a stump in the middle of an enclosure comprised of chicken wire and wooden posts, the presently annoyed team leader was glaring daggers at Onua, who at the moment appeared to be reading a mystery novel and blissfully ignoring his Brother's annoyance.

Pok… Pok pok…

Tahu twitched at the sound. He'd hardly been there for five minutes and already he was starting to highly resent agreeing to participate in what he had decided was lunacy worthy of a Le-Matoran on Fools' Day.

Pok pok pok… pok pok…

The Toa glowered at the little bird that'd pecked his boot curiously, as though it were looking to see if it was actually edible. "Scram." Tahu grunted, bumping the Pokawi with his foot to try and scare it away. As this was his intention, it only aggravated him even more that the bundle of emerald green and lemon yellow feathers just hopped up onto his boot instead of fleeing like it was supposed to Again it pecked at Tahu's boot, its point of interest now the shoe laces.

Pok pok pok pok pok…

"Onua why are we doing this?" Tahu grumbled, shaking his boot to get the Pokawi off. The Toa of Earth didn't answer. "Onua!" Tahu repeated, now shouting in case his Brother had in earplugs.

"Huh?" Onua asked, marking his place in his book with a finger as he looked up and smiled calmly. "What's wrong, Tahu?"

"What's wrong!" The Fire Toa snapped. "What's wrong is that I'm surrounded by walking, tie-dye blotches, with no real purpose to be in here other than it being a 'patience exercise'!"

The Toa of Earth was still smiling. "Well, if you're done testing your patience, just herd them into that chicken coop and lock them in." As he spoke, the twenty year old pointed to the hen house that he'd let the colourful noise-boxes out of. "You can't come out until they're all rounded up and inside. No using your powers either. We're not trying to traumatize them."

"And why can't I just up and get out right now?"

"Because I promised their owner that we'd put them back in the coop when we're done."

Pok pok pok pok…

Tahu twitched again. That constant 'pok' noise was starting to drive him crazy. That and knowing full well that Onua wasn't going to be any help in the slightest with rounding the Pokawi up and putting them away. Grumbling under his breath the whole time, the Toa of Fire waved his arms to try and make the birds move. The only problem was that nothing happened, other than Onua laughing about it as he continued to read his book. Deciding that the idea of herding birds around was utterly pointless, Tahu got off the stump and started trying to get the flock of twenty or so Pokawi all close so he could put them away. Unfortunately, the Rahi weren't onto his plan right away and, each pok-ing loudly, scattered as widely spread around the pen as they could, a typical defence tactic the Pokawi used to avoid predators.

By the time Tahu managed to get the flock of birds back in the hen house it had already been at least an hour, and more than a few times the Fire Toa had just about self-combusted out of frustration. Now out of the enclosure and glaring at Onua, he snapped bitterly. "So just what part of this was a patience exercise?"

The Toa of Earth smiled yet again as he put a page marker in his book and looked up at his younger Brother. "It was meant to teach you to suppress your anger at the situation. You see Tahu, not everyone is as easy to tolerate as Gali and I seem to be. Some people are fragile, others just annoying. People are about as different in personality as the Pokawi are in color patterns, but we have to have patience with them all if we are to help them to the best of our abilities. Do you understand?"

Now Tahu realized Onua's reasons for setting the whole thing up. Nodding as he went over his Brother's words, the sixteen year old Fire Toa commented, now sounding more understanding and calm than before. "Yeah, I get it now. But why all the birds?"

"Onua's smile grew as he stood up and pulled a small box out of his hoodie pocket. "Lessons with an example are always easier to recall." As he said this, he gave the box to Tahu. "Open it." He said as he turned and started walking away. "It'll help you remember."

The Toa of Fire just stood there for a while, watching as his Brother walked away. A reminder? What sort of thing would be a reminder for this? Curiosity getting the better of him, Tahu opened the box and peeked inside…

POK POK POK-

Tahu hurriedly shut the box again, eye twitching as he glared at it. Instead of playing music like a normal musical box would, this one imitated the same, mind-rattling noise that a Pokawi made.

"Uhg…"


	14. 13: Game On

Matau couldn't help but grin as he pushed open the door to the meeting hall, picturing the reactions of the other Toa when they discovered he'd arrived fifteen minutes early. Considering that he had a reputation for being late most of the time, it wasn't hard for him to imagine how stunned they would all be, particularly sticklers for good timing, like Nuju. As this shock factor was something that he was counting on, his surprise at seeing Nuju there was quite predictable. However, something even more shocking was that said Toa of Ice had a hand-held game system in his hand, gaze fixt on the screen and his expression thoughtful.

"Uh… Nuju?" Matau asked, his tone showing just how dumbfounded he was. "What are you doing?"

The stargazer barely spared his Brother a glance. "What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked vaguely.

"Game-playing." Matau answered, trying to figure out just why Nuju was doing so.

"If it's so obvious, why did you ask?" Nuju's tone was still vague and unconcerned. Didn't he realize how weird he was being?

"Since when do you game-play?" The Air Toa spluttered, starting to wonder if someone had broken his Brother's brain.

"Since when was it illegal? I haven't received a message saying that gaming was a criminal offense."

By this point, Matau was almost panicky. "Who are you and what did you do with Nuju?" His question went unanswered, save for the bored look that his normally serious Brother gave him. "…You're playing that funny-strange number game aren't you?"

"The name for that is Sudoku, and no I'm not."

"Oh…" Now Matau hesitated, thinking about what sorts of games Nuju might play. "Brain Age?" The pale one shook his head, icy blue eyes fixed on his game. "Minesweeper?"

"No."

"Tetris? Chess? Poker?"

Nuju paused his game and looked at Matau. "Why in Mata Nui's name would I play poker? There's nothing valuable to be learned. No real strategy that can be applied."

The Toa of Air frowned, crossing his arms and asking with faint annoyance. "If you aren't playing one of those, then what are you game-playing?"

Nuju's attention turned back to the device, unpausing it as he replied simply. "Plants vs. Zombies."

Matau's jaw dropped a bit. "What? How is that a thought-planning game?"

The Toa of Ice rolled his eyes. "It's a strategy game. Make too many mistakes and its game over."

Matau just blinked a few times before going over to his designated seat and sitting down. "But it's so childish!" He eventually protested.

"It's more mature than playing Happy Wheels whenever I get free time."

The Air Toa's face flushed as he stammered, trying and failing to seem dignified. "Hey, Happy Wheels is creative-fun!"

Nuju didn't even bat an eye. "Sure it is." He commented, faint sarcasm in his voice. "Let's see how messily we can take apart a person while trying to get them to the finish line of a trap-filled obstacle course. Very mature." While Matau attempted to find a retort to this, Nuju put his game away, looked at his watch, and glanced towards the door. "Any time now."

As if on queue, the door opened and Onewa stepped in, followed by Whenua, whose face had just turned red as he said, sounding defensive. "What's wrong with playing Pac-Man?"


	15. 14: Success is Painful

The jungles of Le-Wahi were unnaturally quiet today; no bird sounds, no rustling wind, not even the buzz of bug wings. It were as though all life had abandoned the once lively trees and unberbrush, a factor that made Toa Onua somewhat uneasy. He wasn't afraid, not for himself at least, but it has been far too long since anyone had heard from Lewa, a very unsettling situation considering that the Bohrok were running rampant across the island. Frowning faintly, he brushed some of his jet black hair out of his face and glanced around, his emerald green eyes scanning everything with scrutiny. It wasn't like Lewa to be quiet, especially for as long as he had been.

A faint breeze blew past now, briefly stirring the air around Onua and causing him to turn and look in the direction of the wind's origin… Just in time to give enough warning for Onua to duck the axe that'd been thrown at his head. Pressing himself against the ground and frowning when he heard the dull thud that indicated it was now embedded in a tree trunk behind him, Onua gave a faint sigh. "Well, that answers my question of where Lewa got to." Pushing himself to his feet, the Toa of Earth soon caught sight of his Brother, taking note of the red, mask-like abomination that was stuck to his face. "You know Lewa, that new headgear of yours is highly unattractive. You should take it off."

The Toa of Air shuddered slightly as he held his hand out, summoning his axe and making Onua duck again as the weapon sailed past his head once more. "You shouldn't be here, Onua." Lewa said quietly, his voice sounding a bit strained. "Leave before you get hurt."

Onua brushed himself off as he stood up for the second time. "I'll leave when you're back to normal. You know you're stronger than this, Lewa. That parasite might be controlling your body, but it has no power over your will and mind."

Again the Toa of Air shuddered, this time more noticeably than before. However, it didn't stop him from throwing his hand out towards Onua and blasting him with enough wind to knock him off his feet. "I said to leave!" Lewa repeated, now sounding somewhat desperate. "I don't want to be forced into hurting you!"

Onua coughed as he got up yet again, shaking his head to clear his mind a little. "Then don't be." He responded calmly. "Take the Krana off and free yourself. You're strong enough to overpower it."

Lewa twitched before rushing at Onua, swinging his axe and trying to hit his Brother's legs. Onua quickly sidestepped, his expression mildly disapproving. "It might take a while if you keep letting it pull stunts like that." He commented, sounding almost casual. "But that's fine, I've got all day." A more powerful blast of wind hit the Toa of Earth now, sending him stumbling backwards, tripping over a tree root, and smashing against a tree. Groaning quietly, Onua just sat there for a little while, trying to regain his breath. Unfortunately, that gave Lewa's out of control body the perfect chance to embed his axe in Onua's chest plate, breaking the armor and leaving a deep enough gash that it bled. Wincing and coughing quietly, Onua pushed Lewa back away from him, frowning as he murmured faintly through gritted teeth. "When I decided to come looking for Lewa, I didn't think success would be quite this painful…" Coughing again, he pushed himself to his feet and refocused on his Brother. "Well, let's try something new." He started tapping his foot on the ground, a tremor shaking the area each time his boot hit the forest floor.

When his foot hit the ground for the fourth time, a small pillar of earth shot up and gave Lewa a rather nasty uppercut, knocking him clean off his feet. As the Air Toa picked himself up, coughing as he shook off his dazed state, he mumbled. "Well… can't say I didn't deserve that." He then turned his attention back on Onua. "Just leave, Onua. I don't want to hurt you again."

"Then take the Krana off." His Brother replied calmly. "You have the heart and mind of a Toa; prove that this parasitic excuse won't hold you back any more."

By now Lewa was shaking like a leaf, every part of his being showing the struggle he was having to try and overpower the Krana. Managing to drop his axe, the Toa of Air slowly reached up and gripped the red abomination with his trembling hands. "I won't hurt Onua again, monster…" He started pulling on the Krana, squeezing his eyes shut due to the pain of trying to rip it off. "I… will… not!" With a loud smacking sound, the Krana was pulled away, and as it was torn off Lewa gave a cry of pain, his face red and showing just how tightly the creature had been holding to his skin. The Toa of Air stumbled and fell over, ending up sitting against a tree and throwing the Krana down in front of him as tears slid down his face. Onua moved closer, sitting beside Lewa and pulling a golden colored headband; Lewa's actual mask.

"Here," the Earth Toa said quietly as he handed the headband over. "I took this from a Bohrok Va not long after I got to Le-Wahi. I knew something bad happened, but I hadn't quite expected this… are you alright?"

Lewa gave a shaky sigh. "Better than you…" He replied weakly as he put his mask back on. "I really didn't want to hit you, Onua, I just-"

Onua cut him off, resting a hand on his Brother's shoulder as he said. "You didn't hit me Lewa, the Krana did, so stop fussing about it."

"But Earth-Brother, it was my-"

"No Lewa, it wasn't your fault. Now how's your face? It's as red as Tahu's when he gets angry, and I know that strike to the jaw rattled your head quite a bit."

"I'll be alright. Everyone needs a hit to wake them up at some time or another anyways… Are you sure I didn't-"

Yet again, Onua cut him off. "Yes, I'm sure it wasn't you. But I do have something you need to do for me."

"Anything, Onua."

The Toa of Earth gave a tired smile. "Help me get up so we can get moving. I've been up and down at least four times now, and I'm not sure I can get up again at this point without having some form of help. Not right away, at least."

Lewa laughed weakly as he got up and hauled Onua to his feet. "Is that really all you wanted?"

Onua smiled faintly. "There is one other thing, if you've got it."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. Can I have an Advil?"

Lewa laughed again. "Once we reach Le-Koro, you can have as many as you want. Just leave a few for me."


	16. 15: Boyfriends

Kopaka – A quiet, no-nonsense Toa of Ice with little to no tolerance for stupid humor, lack of consideration, and general tomfoolery.

Lewa – The exact opposite of Kopaka.

How it is that two such unusually unmatched warriors ended up travelling together through Le-Wahi is a knowledge only Mata Nui knows, and whether it was bad luck or Destiny having a sense of humor, Kopaka wasn't certain. So far, Lewa had chattered nearly non-stop so far, and there was no being certain when he would be quiet, if he would be quiet at all. As it was, the Toa of Ice was only half paying attention so far, occasionally catching snippets of idle conversation and making some form of sound to acknowledge he was at least giving a vague effort to listen. It wasn't until Lewa uttered the word 'girlfriend', however, that Kopaka really payed attention. Glancing briefly up at his vine-swinging Brother in mild surprise, he paused only for a second before asking. "What did you just say?"

The Toa of Air grinned, too innocently to be legitimately innocent. "I asked if you have a girlfriend, Ice-Brother."

"That's a rather pointless question." The pale one responded boredly. "You know I don't have a girlfriend."

Much to Kopaka's annoyance, Lewa's grin broadened. "Yes you do. I know you do."

Kopaka rolled his eyes. Was this really happening? He probably should have expected something like this to crop up, but even still he wondered just why Lewa had brought up this sort of topic, and insisted in such a blatant falsehood. Surely the Air Toa knew better than this. Kopaka wanted to ignore it, but part of him – much to his own botherment – was intrigued. He wanted to know more about his Brother's ludicrous claim. "And who, pray tell, is my girlfriend?"

Lewa's response was too quick for comfort. "Water-Sister Gali."

The Toa of ice stopped walking, fixing his companion with a bored, vaguely unimpressed stare. "Gali." He repeated blandly. "You think Gali is my girlfriend."

"Not thinkfigure." Lewa insisted. "Know. She's our girlfriend, and she's mine too."

"What in Karzahni are you on about?"

The Toa of Air grinned again. "Well, Water-Sister is a girl, and she's our friend. She's our girlfriend!"

For a few seconds, Kopaka could only stare at him. Was he really having this conversation? Seriously? How was he even supposed to answer that? It took mere moments to decide. "So, if Gali is your girlfriend, what does that make me?"

"Huh?"

"Using your logic, if Gali is your girlfriend, what does that make me?"

Lewa had to take a moment to think that one through. "Water-Sister is a girl, so she's a girlfriend…" He mumbled as he mulled it over. "Um…"

"What is the opposite of a girl, Lewa." Kopaka remarked, watching Lewa's face closely.

"A boy."

"Yes, so if I'm your friend…"

"Oh! You're my boyfriend!"

The dawning look of realization, followed by alarm and disgust, on Lewa's face nearly made Kopaka laugh. What Lewa said next made it even harder to keep a straight face. "Eew! Grossyucky! No no no no no!"

The Toa of Ice couldn't help but give a faint smile of sorts. "This, Lewa, is why words are to be considered carefully before spoken. Otherwise you say things that bite you later." He paused to let his Brother recover a moment before, just to see what would happen, he added. "Boyfriend."

Another disgusted wail rang out, and as Kopaka set off again, he couldn't help but chuckle quietly in amusement. Perhaps this trip would be amusing after all.


End file.
